George Osborne interview: championing the ‘voice of the liberal mainstream’

After just eight weeks in the wilderness, George Osborne is back – and wants to put the pressure on Theresa May to use the phrase ‘Northern Powerhouse’ and the agenda that goes with it. Here’s an edited transcript of his BBC Today Programme interview this morning with Nick Robinson.

NR: We want to talk about the Northern Powerhouse, but just to be clear then, you’re not tempted to follow your now ex-leader out of politics and spend some time writing your memoirs?

No, I’m not. I don’t want to write my memoirs because I don’t know how the story ends and I want to hang around and find out. And there’s an enormous opportunity now to take part in the decisions that are going to affect Britain. We’ve taken a big decision which is to leave the European Union, there are now a whole host of new decisions about what our relationship is with Europe, how we run our economy, how Britain behaves in the world, and I want to be there in ultimately still the place where these decisions, the House of Commons, and be part of that decision-making process because I want to fight for the things that I care about: an international Britain, a Britain connected with its allies, a Britain taking its full share of responsibilities in the world.

NR: Well, first and foremost, that idea of the Northern Powerhouse is about how we run the economy in this country; you’ve written an article for The Sun today in which you say, ‘the Northern Powerhouse is here to stay.’